Page 13 - DURHAM CITIZEN - AUGUST 4TH 2021

August 4, 2021 durhamcitizen.ca 13
“ The greatest Raptor of all time. He showed our city who we want to be. The fighter. The leader, SPORTS
The player who's got your back and leads the charge. Who takes the charge. Who falls down
and gets back up. Again and again.” -Toronto Mayor John Tory paying tribute to Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry to join Miami Heat

after nine seasons with Toronto Raptors

TORONTO - Raptors star guard Lowry was seen as a key player in “I play this game for the love for the In January 2019, he added to his
Kyle Lowry is headed to the Miami the free-agent guard sweepstakes, game. But at the end of the day I legacy by joining a select group
Heat. one of the first dominoes to drop want to make sure my family is still with 5,000 career assists. Lowry
Lowry put out a social media post and set the stage for future taken care of for generations and found Serge Ibaka on a pick-and-
to his more than 907,000 Twitter signings. for time to come. Even though they roll and the big man beat Deandre
followers saying “Miami Heat X With Lowry's contract expiring, it are now, I want to continue to Ayton to the hoop for a dunk in a
Kyle Lowry” and “Let's Goo!!” was the long goodbye for the star be able to do that for my family.” 111-109 win over the Phoenix Suns.
followed by five fire emojis. guard. In February, there were But the six-time all-star made His two young sons “He's been in the league a long time
The post came less than 45 minutes reports Lowry - who was in Tampa it clear he is not ready to walk were often in the and he's had the ball in his hands
after free agency officially kicked with the rest of the Raptors due to away from the game. Raptors dressing room, and got it to a lot of people,”
off Monday at 6 p.m. Deals will not p a n d e m i c - r e l a y e d t r a v e l “Until that time comes, I still have a playing video games or just Toronto coach Nick Nurse said at
be considered official until noon restrictions - had put his Toronto lot more to give, I have a ton of hanging out with dad. the time.“ Since I came here five-
Friday, with the Raptors saying home on the market. basketball left in me,” he said. He On the court, Lowry was the and-a-half years ago, it was the first
they would have nothing to say Then the March 25 trade deadline also made it clear he wanted to play Raptors' conductor. thing I noticed - how he'd find the
until then. came and went. f o r a co n t e n d e r. “ I w a n t He averaged 17.2 points and 7.3 right guys to get the ball to. He
Citing a source, The Associated As free agency approached, the championships, That's always assists a game last season, when he really commands the offence and
Press reported Lowry had agreed to Heat appeared to be making moves been the goal. Money comes with was restricted to 46 games due to knows where to get it.”
a three-year deal worth an to pave the way to acquire Lowry in that and you get paid, but injury. Toronto finished out of the Lowry is the latest member of the
estimated US$90 million in a sign- a sign-and-trade. They picked up championships are a big key into playoffs, in 12th spot in the East. Raptors' 2019 championship team
and-trade with Toronto that will the option on Dragic's $19.4- why I play this game,” he said. Listed at six foot and 196 pounds, to leave the fold. Kawhi Leonard,
send veteran point guard Goran million contract for the 2021-2022 The Raptors will look to Fred Lowry makes his living in a land of Marc Gasol, Danny Green, Norm
Dragic and power forward Precious season, which would help to make VanVleet to take over as floor giants. And he is willing to put his Powell and Ibaka are among those
Achiuwa to the Raptors. There was the numbers work in a deal. general. body on the line, with a league- who have already moved on.
no immediate word whether those Lowry is also said to be close to Lowry became the face of the leading 166 charges taken over the Toronto Mayor John Tory paid
players will stick in Toronto or head Heat star Jimmy Butler, who Toronto franchise, a gritty last five seasons. tribute to Lowry, calling him “the
elsewhere to the deal. reportedly was nearing a contract combative guard who helped lead Lowry is Toronto's franchise leader greatest Raptor of all time.”
A 15-year NBA veteran, the 35-year- extension with Miami. the team to the promised land in in triple-doubles (16), three-points “He showed our city who we want
old Lowry has spent the last nine “To be honest with you, my family 2019 when it dispatched the goals (1,518), assists (4,277) and to be. The fighter. The leader,” Tory
seasons as a Raptor. will be a major factor in this,” Lowry Golden State Warriors in six steals (873). And with 10,540 said in a statement. “The player
The debate over Lowry's future had said in his end-of-season media games. He has made a career out of points, he ranks second to good who's got your back and leads the
started prior to the trade deadline meeting in May, when asked about proving people wrong. “I enjoy the friend DeMar DeRozan (13,296) in charge. Who takes the charge.
but he remained a Raptor, finishing what will shape his decision on challenge of people counting me the Raptors record book. Who falls down and gets back up.
out a difficult 27-45 season played what's next. “And also money talks out, counting the team out,” he said With 601 games and 20,813 Again and again.”
in Tampa due to pandemic-related and years talk and all that stuff. in May. Scotiabank Arena became minutes played in Toronto colours,
travel restrictions. Let's be real. Lowry's house. Lowry is also second to DeRozan. -The Canadian Press

Andre De Grasse races to gold

in men's 200 metres

I'm going to have to get second. I “Unfortunately, I couldn’t see
can't catch him.” anybody and was running for my
Lesson learned, and since Bolt left life,” Lyles said. “I thought I was
the scene, De Grasse said he's Andre De Grasse, the the one behind. I felt like I was
only gotten stronger and more fit. Canadian who ran his first the one chasing.”
Meanwhile, the world has been Nope. De Grasse was doing the
looking for someone, anyone, to sprint as a teen in baggy chasing. And catching. And,
Andre De Grasse, the came up short winning take the former champion's place basketball shorts and finally, winning. He's the first
Canadian who ran his first bronze and silver, so it’s just in the marquee track events. borrowed spikes, now has sprint gold medalist for Canada
sprint as a teen in baggy good to have that gold medal. On Sunday night, Italian sprinter an Olympic gold medal since Donovan Bailey won the 100
basketball shorts and No one can take that away Marcell Jacobs came from in the 200 meters. at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
borrowed spikes, now has from me.” nowhere to win the 100, leaving De Grasse went through injuries
an Olympic gold medal The most memorable of De De Grasse behind in what is and setbacks in virtually every
in the 200 meters. Grasse's near misses came in 2016, usually considered his second- year since his close calls in Rio. He
De Grasse powered past when he took silver in the 200- best distance. admits there were times when he
a pair of Americans — Kenny meters in Rio, and had the But finally, De Grasse has cashed wondered if he'd ever make it to
Bednarek and the favorite, Noah audacity to mess with Bolt. in. It's his first gold at a major the top step of the podium.
Lyles — to finish in 19.62 seconds It was a semifinal race and the two event after amassing two silvers Josephus, who is also a sprinter “Worth the wait, definitely,” he
Wednesday and take one of the were far ahead of the field and and six bronzes at Olympics and but failed to qualify. said.
titles that Usain Bolt had owned easily going to make the medal world championships since 2015. At one point this summer, Lyles Quite an accomplishment for a
for the previous three Olympics. race. But on instructions from his “It’s persistence," said decathlon appeared headed for an attempt one-time point guard who got
It ends a string of close calls for coach, who wanted to wear out leader Damian Warner, who hung at a 100-200 double. But his 100 at into track on a whi m. On the bus
the 26-year-old and fills out a the champ, De Grasse kept out near the track to watch his Olympic trials was a mess, and his in high school, he bumped into a
medal collection that was only pushing. It forced Bolt to kick Canadian teammate win. “He’s best race of the season was the friend, who challenged him to
missing gold. De Grasse won things back into overdrive. had to go against Usain Bolt, 200 final in Eugene, Oregon. come out to the track. De Grasse
bronze four nights earlier in the Bolt won the race but playfully Yohan Blake, all these tough Lyles made a mistake Tuesday thought he could beat his buddy,
100 to go with the third-place wagged his finger at De Grasse. competitors. So it’s not like he’s night in the semifinals, slowing so he went out in his basketball
medal he took in that event in Rio The moment went viral, and Bolt just choking or losing in the final. down too far before the line, shorts, started from a standing
de Janeiro. insisted he wasn't pleased. He He’s losing to some really great getting edged out for the two position and finished in 10.9.
Given all he's been through, it was came back to blow away De athletes.” automatic spots in his heat, and An Olympic bronze medalist from
no surprise when he revealed that Grasse in the final, by nearly a This time, he beat some — most being forced to wait to see if his 1984, Tony Sharpe, was sitting in
he'd been crying behind the quarter second, but the champion notably, Lyles, the reigning world time would earn him a qualifying the stands that day, looking for
bronze — or were they gold — suggested the extra energy didn't champion at 200 meters who has spot. new talent. He saw that race and
colored shades he wore for the help in his futile quest to re-set been on a difficult road to the It did, but it cost him in the final. said, “Who is this guy?”
race. his world record of 19.19. Tokyo Olympics. He openly talked Forced to start in Lane 3, Lyles That was in 2012.
“It’s my first time being so “I came back for that final and I about his mental-health issues pushed out too quickly. He had Now it's 2021, and nobody is
emotional on the track,” De was gassed, tired,” De Grasse said. and the anguish of coming to the the lead heading into the asking anymore.
Grasse said. "I always thought I “I looked to my side, and I said Games without his brother, homestretch but didn't know it. With files from Eddie Pells